Re: It's NBA time

NEW YORK -- Three months ago, the Sacramento Kings seemed on the verge of a move to Seattle after the team's majority owners secretly executed a deal that would land a record sale price to a deep-pocketed and respected group that promised a glittering new downtown arena.

On Monday, Sacramento overcame those long odds when an NBA ownership committee studying the situation unanimously voted against relocating the Kings. A formal vote of all 30 owners is scheduled for May 13 but sources told ESPN.com the full body is expected to ratify the recommendation of the 12 owners from the relocation and finance committees.

The move is a victory for Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson. In January, he had no competing ownership bid, no plan for a new arena after years of trying and no working relationship with the team's owners, the Maloof family.

But Johnson, who successfully staved off a bid to move the Kings to Anaheim in 2011, hastily assembled a strong counter-proposal that ended up winning over skeptical owners.

Moments after the league announced the committee's recommendation, Johnson wrote on Twitter: "That's what I'm talking about SACRAMENTO!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!"

A group led by Bay Area software magnate Vivek Ranadive, who currently is a part-owner of the Golden State Warriors, now appears to be in the drivers' seat to make a deal to purchase 65 percent of the Kings for $341 million. That overall evaluation of $525 million would make the Kings the largest sale in league history.

That purchase would have to be approved by 75 percent of owners. But the committee's vote on Monday will effectively clear the way for Ranadive's group to buy the Kings and keep them in Sacramento.

Sacramento also has funding and government approval to build a new downtown arena to be open in 2015 or 2016.

The decision is a loss for Seattle businessmen Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, who had bid $365 million for 65 percent of the team and had made a separate deal with a bankruptcy court to pay $15 million for another seven percent. They were also willing to pay millions more in relocation fees and arena development in a larger market.

The Maloofs had urged their fellow NBA owners to accept the Hansen deal and allow a move to Seattle through personal lobbying and a letter that attacked the merits of the Sacramento bid that was sent to all owners two weeks ago.

NBA commissioner David Stern, deputy commissioner Adam Silver and a legion of league attorneys had studied the two offers for the last two months. A vote that was expected to be taken at the annual spring owners' meetings was pushed back to allow further study.

Those delays helped Johnson and Sacramento firm up their offer. As recently as last week, there were some doubts among NBA owners that the Sacramento group would be able to assemble all the financing and clear all the government hurdles to truly compete with the Seattle offer, which was much more developed.

Stern called the decision "wrenching" recently. But in the end, it appears the league favored supporting a city that stepped up and fought to keep its team.

"I've never been prouder of this city," Johnson tweeted. "I thank the ownership group, city leaders, but most of all the BEST FANS IN THE NBA!!!"

The mayor also commended Seattle for its effort and wrote that the Pacific Northwest city "no doubt deserves a team in the future."

Spokesmen for the Maloof family and Hansen had no immediate comment on the committee's recommendation. Seattle mayor Mike McGinn pledged that his city will continue to fight for an NBA team.

"I'm proud of how Sonics fans have rallied together to help Seattle get a team," McGinn said in a statement. "We're going to stay focused on our job: making sure Seattle remains in a position to get a team when the opportunity presents itself."

Originally Posted by guedita

And to be fair to fikus, violent strangulation is one of his better qualities.

Originally Posted by malcolmjamalawesome

Being dead is literally the only way anyone on the planet could give less of a shit about you. You look like Farrah Fawcett's melted corpse.

Re: It's NBA time

Oh, Metta! From his press conference today re: Jason Collins

Originally Posted by Metta

Whether it's a free country or not, you should be free to act as you want to do as long as it's not violent. No matter what it is. I came here in a Cookie Monster shirt because I wanted to, and I was going to wear the pants. But I thought you guys were going to judge me. I was going to wear the hat too. But I thought you guys would judge me. I didn't want Mitch [Kupchak] to judge me. So that's why I didn't wear the hats and the pants. But I should've wore it. You should be free to do and act how you want to act.

Re: It's NBA time

Re: It's NBA time

May have been a bit premature with the Clip/Grizz series prediction, as I really thought they'd come out and take game four (*Face Palm*). Memphis is just out bangin the Clips and the Clips donít have the personnel to stop them. Turiaf and Hollins are too soft and get easily abused, DJ is a offensive liability once in the penalty because he canít hit free throws, so itís pretty much on Blake and Odom to match up with Gasol/Zbo late in the game. They just need to bang like theyíve never banged before.

Re: It's NBA time

I also think Memphis has the best shot against Miami. Their best defenders Prince and Allen match up well with James and Wade. And the two bigs would dominate inside against Bosh and Haslem. Not to mention Conley > Rio.

Re: It's NBA time

Also...Mark Jackson isn't doing Steph Curry any favors about his "soft" label by crying in press conferences about rough tactics. I understand that point of "planting a seed" for the officials, but there's hardly been any rough or dirty fouls out there.

Re: It's NBA time

So the refs absolutely fucked the Knicks from every which angle today. So many blown calls... made me sick to watch. And then Melo gets bumped by an illuminati-david-stern-camera on the way out of the arena, injuring his shoulder. Games like this......... I just don't know. Rigged? No... they just want a certain team to win.